Steam-trap.



PATENTED MAR. i9, 190? w. W, DOOLITTLE. STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION EILED NOV. 9,1905.

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119.847.0257; PATENTED MAR. 19 1907.

W. w. DOOLITTLE.

'STBAM TRAP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1905.

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ms NORRIS PETERS co, wnsuuiuron, o. c.

No. 847,657. PATENTED MAR.19,1907. Y w. w. DOOLITTLB.

STEAM TRAP. APPLICATION FILED N OV. 9, 1905.

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WITNESSES I I 6 INVENTOR rm: NORRIS PETERS ca, wnsumamn, n. c.

Nb. 847,657. I

- W. W. DOOLITTLE.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV'. 9, 1905.

PATBNTED'MAR. 19; 1907.

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W|TNE$SES INVEN'I'OR 1-11,: mmms haw-Ens ca., wnsmucrcn. n. c,

the water to the boiler, the outflow pipe is UNrrn WILLIAM W. DOOLITTLE,-OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CRANE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STATES ra'rnnr orrion.

STEAM-TRAP.

I Patented March 19, 1907.

. Application fileci November 9,1905. Serial No. 286,560.

No. 847,657. Specification of Letters Patent.

aZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. DooLrr- TLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Evanston, and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a construction of gravityoperated return and non-return steam traps in which the tank is normallytilted, and in which the accumulation of water causes the tank to swingto ahorizontal position as opposed to the old type of steam trap inwhich the tank is normally horizontal and swings to a tilting positionin order to discharge. Applicants arrangement is accompanied withcertain advantages over the old construction which are hereinafter setforth. A further object is the production of a trap in which theconstruction is simplified and the cost is decreased, while the eneralefficiency is increased. The boar ideas involved are applicable both toreturn traps and non-return traps, and the preferred constructions areset forth in the l accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a sideelevation of the return trap in its normal or empty position, the valvecasing being partially broken away to show the position of the valves;

Figure 2 is a similar view, but showing the l tank in the position ofdischarge;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line (3) non-return trap, noprovision is necessary for forcing the water out as it can escape byvirtue of its weight. The above broad con- ,struction is old andapplicants'invention, which, operates on the general lines above setforth, relates to a particular new and advantageous form of apparatusfor carrying out the above stated operation. In the old form ofapparatus the tank when empty was arranged to stand in a horizontalposition, and when ready to discharge occupied a position at an angle tothe horizontal, and the discharge, in order to be from the lowest partof the tank when in the tilted position, was connected to the extremelower corner or edge at the end of the tank, and with the hollowtrunnion or axis on which the tank clear that the end of the tank at thepoint of the discharge connection must necessarily be when in tiltedposition above the trunnion in order to discharge the water by gravity,thus necessitating the elevation of the tank a considerable distanceabove its trunnion. Furthermore, the discharge from this point of thetank necessarily requires a pipe leading from the end of the tank to thetrunnion. In applicants construction, a reversal of the above generalarrangement is made and the tank is arranged to be, when in normal orempty position, tilted as shown in Figure 1, and when in full ordischarge position, horizontal, as shown in Figure 2. This rearof Figure2, in which position the tank is disrangement of parts results inimportant adcharging; vantages. In the first place, the trunnion Figure4 is a side elevation showing the in' or hollow axis may be placed asclose as devention as applied to a non-return trap in position ofdischarge, and

Figure 5 is a transverse section through Figure 4, on the line (4).

The device belongs to that type of steam traps in which an accumulationof water overbalances a counter-weight and tilts the tank, and opens avalve whereby the accumulated water is discharged. In the case of thereturn trap in which it is desired to return sired to the tank asopposed to the arrangement in the other form in which the tank mustnecessarily be at a sufficient height above the trunnion to dischargewhen the tank is tilted and the discharge opening is in its lowestposition. In the second place the above the trunnion and no additionalconnection pipe running along the body of the tank from the dischargeopening in the tank'to the trunnion is necessary. In the third place, itwill be apparent from inspection that the trunnion in applicant/sconstruction may be placed nearer the center of the tank than in the oldconstructions and thereby the pressure of the live steam in connectionwith I counter-weight reduced. With a tank in a the elevated position ofthe tank is sufficient l normally tilted position a much larger protoforce the water into the lboilen ln the l portionLof water must enterthe tank In order connected to the boiler and the tilting of the trapoperates another valve to admit live steam from the boiler. This permitsthe escape of the water from the tank as the tilted. With thisconstruction it will be discharge from the tank may be directly' to tiltit to the horizontal than would be necessary to tilt the same tank froma horizon- 1 tilted or empty 'tank is an tal POSltiOll to a tiltedposition. This results because the first water which enters the tankgoes to fill the counter-weighted end of the I tank, and it is acorrespondingly longer time 1 before the accumulation in the other endof J the tank is suificient to overbalance and I ti t it.

Figures 1, 2 and 3, show the return trap in which 6 is the base carryingat either end the parts 7 and 8 for supporting the tilting tank 9 whenin its two extreme positions. The tank 9 is pivoted on a hollow axis 10and carries at its end the adjustable counterweight 11. Projecting fromthe side of the arm provided with a loop 12, which loop embraces the armof a lever 13, which, is adapted to operate the admission valve for livesteam 14 and the air valve 15. This loop is provided on its lower sidewith a roller 16 for'bearing against the lever 13. The roller is mountedin a block which is adjusted by means of the screw 16. The lever 13 isnormally held down by the weight 17 which is adjustable longitudinallyof the lever. The lever 13 is carried upon the fulcrum lever 15 whichlatter is attached to the frame and is connected on one side of suchfulcrum lever to the valve 16 and on the other side of such fulcrumlever carries a swinging link 17 which is adapted to engage the lever18. The lever 18 is normally held down by the weight 18 and operates thevalve stem 19. It will be seen from inspection of Figure 1 that when thetank is in position, the valve stem 16 is held down, closing the livesteam valve 14 and at the same time holding open the air valve 15.Figures 2 and 3 show the tank and valves in the discharge position. Thetilting of the tank has raised the lever 13 thereby opening the livesteam valve 14 and allowing the air valve 15 to be closed by the weight18. Figure 3 shows the construction of the hollow axis 10. The hollowaxis consists of two tubes 20 and 21 which are held against turning inthe frame by the set screws 22. The tank s supported and revolves aboutthe tubes and the relatively movable parts are kept tight by thestufling boxes 23. The tube 21, as shown in Figure 3, has a connectionat its inner end with the tank and at its outer end is connected at 25with a T (not shown) which T has two connections, the one with theboiler which is provided with a check valve which permits a I dischargeto the boiler, but prevents a backward discharge and the other with thesteam supply system or exhaust as it will be called for the sake ofbrevity, from which the water l is to be separated in the tank. Thislatter l connection is also provided with a check valve which valve isadapted to permit of the l flow of exhauststeam into the tank but to lprevent a flow in the contrary direction.

This T with its connections to the boiler and exhaust provided with thecheck valves is the ordinary construction in traps of this general type,and no further illustration or description is thought to be necessary.The other tube 20 has shown in Figures 1 and 3 a connection 26 throughthe air valve 15 with the outside atmosphere, and another connectioncontrolled by the valve 14 with the live steam pipe which is connectedat 27. l have shown the two tubes 20 and 21, but it is apparent one pipemight be dispensed with and its place taken by another pipe alongside ofor inside of the other pipe. My invention comprehends this modification.

he operation is as follows: the tank in its empty position and tilted asshown in Figure 1, the live steam valve 14- is held closed by the weight17, and. the valve 15 is open. Exhaust steam is being admitted throughthe tube 21 and air is being forced out through the valve 15. \Vhen thetank is sulliciently filled with water so that the weight in the righthand end of the tank overbalances that in the left hand and the weight11, the tank tilts to the position shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3.During this movement the loop 12 engages the lever 13 lifting the weight17, opening the valve 1 1- for live steam, and closing the air valve 15.The live steam entering the tube 20 forces the accumulated water outthrough the tube 21 and into the boiler, the check in the exhaust pipewhich connects with the T preventing a back flow there, and the check inthe boiler connection permitting the flow through such boilerconnection. The closing of the air valve 15 at the time of the openingof the live steam valve prevents any loss of pressure at that point.

The non-return trap as shown in Figures 4 and 5 operates similarly, butthe air valve is omitted, as is also the live steam connection. As shownin F igure 3, 28 is the exhaust connection communicating through thetube 29 and inside pipe 30 with the tank. 31 is the outflow connectioncontrolled by the valve 32 which is operated by the lever The outflowconnection communicates with the tank through the tube 34,. Theoperation is as follows: l Vhen the tank is filled with water suflieientto tilt it, it moves to the position of discharge shown in Figure 4', inwhich. movement the lever 33 is raised, opening the valve 32 andpermitting the discharge through the tube 34 and the connection 31.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In combination, a tank, an admission and exhaust axis beneath thetank and located nearer one end of the tank than the other, acounterweight at the end of the tank Starting with nearest the axis forholdingthe tank in tilted 1 one end between the ends of the fulcrumlepositionwhen empty, direct connections from ver, a weight on saidthird lever and a conthe bottom of the tank at a point adjacent the axisto the admission and discharge portions of the axis, and means operatedby the tilting of the tank whereby the admission and discharge arecontrolled.

2. In combination a tank, an axis therefor provided with an admissionvalve for steam and an air valve, a fulcrum lever pivoted at the bottomand carrying a weighted lever having'at one side of its fulcrum aconnection with the admission valve and at the other 1 side a dependinglink, a third lever pivoted at other side with the the tank foroperatpending link and at the air valve and means on ing the secondlever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence ofthe two subscribed witnesses.

WILLIAM w. DO-OLITTLE.

Witnesses;

PAUL CARPENTER, ALBERT C. HOWARD.

nection at one side of the weight with the de-

